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The Flynn edge of the wedge

When Bobby Flynn appeared on Australian Idol in 2006, he
seemed like a throwback. In retrospect, he may just have been the
shape of things to come. Kylie Northover reports.

BOBBY Flynn became a household name when he dared to
stray from the conveyer-belt pop star machine of talent show
Australian Idol in 2006; his radical deconstructions of
popular songs fuelled debate  and ratings  among the
program's faithful viewers and may, ultimately, have cost him the
top prize (he made the last seven).

Three years on and Flynn, 28, has established himself as a
professional in much the same understated manner, and with little
help from the industry machine. He rejected a huge record deal with
Sony BMG immediately after the series, and, other than using a
booking agent, handles all aspects of his burgeoning career
himself.

After the predictable hoopla surrounding Idol died down,
Flynn, who then lived in Brisbane, took his band, Omega 3, and
toured a "cabaret-style" show on the east coast. He then wrote and
produced his debut album, Out Front, released in early 2008,
which was met with both critical acclaim and healthy sales.

Had he taken the Sony deal he would probably be a richer, more
artistically compromised, man today. But compromise is not his
style. Which makes you wonder why he entered the reality TV circus
in the first place.

Flynn, who now lives in Melbourne with his partner Jade and
their nine-month-old daughter Indigo, says his agenda back then was
to "do something different".

"I was quite antsy about it, and reality TV in general, but
getting in there and meeting people and talking to the producers
you know, they're all music lovers, they've all played in
bands for 20 or 30 years, and I think they just saw what's
happening in terms of physical album sales declining and figured
(Idol) could be an alternative to what's going on out
there."

His candour when it comes to Idol  both his
criticism and his praise  makes Flynn an endearing graduate.
He's no cookie-cutter pop star, yet he's not exactly an iconoclast
either. He just says and does what he thinks is right.

He does admit, though, to the occasional twinge of regret about
that Sony deal. "I've had a few moments in the past three years
where I've thought, 'Why the f--- did I do that?' When you're out
on the road and trying to get the band on the tour bus and everyone
wants to do different things. But that's part of it, dealing with
the dynamic nature of musicians. You do what you can in the
situation."

Even at his most broke and stressed, he says, writing to order
isn't his thing. "The traditional artistic principles that go into
a recording it's tough to produce that if there's nothing to
say, if you're not feeling it. You've got to have the discipline
and write every day, but if it's not happening, then it's not
happening."

Things are definitely happening for Flynn at the moment. He's
writing new material for his second album, which he is working on
with Countbounce from Australian hip-hop outfit TZU. "It's quite
urban, with a real bounce and very punchy sounds, tales of the
inner city, that kind of thing. It's a cross between Motown and new
wave."

Accustomed to writing songs alone, Flynn is collaborating on a
few tracks on this album. "Generally I've been writing here at home
and taking stuff round to Pip (Countbounce), but we've done some
co-writes as well.

"It's a different writing style for me; traditionally I've
strummed a guitar next to the river or something. It's an
interesting chemistry."

Flynn also has another gig, teaching at RMIT. "They don't really
call them 'lecturers' any more," Flynn says. "We just deliver
course work."

The bachelor of arts (music industry) examines questions facing
the music industry. "It's kind of like rock school. It's very broad
 a lot of engineering, mixing, business, local and global
music impacts. I'm really loving it."

While he draws on his own industry experience, Flynn says the
teaching gig has also been a learning curve. "I've had to read up
on stuff, but it's mostly contemporary issues like digital delivery
 how you can really have a career sitting in a basement on
your own, and run your entire career now as an individual
artist."

Which is what Flynn himself seems to be doing, and successfully.
Ahead of his album release later this year, he's performing some
live shows, as a duo; him singing and his Omega 3 band mate Barry
Hill on upright bass.

"It's a very stripped-back experience. I'm keeping the new
material under wraps for now. I'll be doing some stuff from the
previous record, and there might be some guests as well."

And, yes, he will be doing some of the covers that he's become
renowned for.

"I love doing covers," he says, rather unfashionably. "And
people do expect, when they see me live, that I'll do covers. I'm
not that precious about it."

Bobby Flynn performs at the Blue Diamond, in the city, tonight
and on July 9.